Think you have nothing to plan for because you’re not a parent or are too young?
You’re not alone. Many millennials and Gen-Xers overlook their estate plans, thinking they’ll get around to it someday.
If anything, when you’re young, you still have your whole life ahead of you—and that means you should be thinking about your future needs and wishes.
If you died today, who would take care of your loved ones? What would happen to your property? And if you have children—who gets custody?
An estate plan can address all of these concerns and more. Speak with a Galleria estate planning attorney at Stafford Law Firm about your estate plan today.
Located six miles west of downtown, the uptown Houston area—the Galleria—is Houston’s most prominent shopping district. The area is home to over 69,000 of Houston’s residents, at or around a median age of 39.5. Most homes here are non-family households and bring in a median household income of $106,974.
Uptown Houstonians enjoy an excellent quality of life. And if you’re living in this area and researching estate planning, you have a lot to plan for. Get a head start by working with an experienced estate planning attorney at Stafford Law Firm.
Estate planning is an ongoing process that sets your loved ones up for success when you’re no longer around. It’s as unique as you are and can include various tools.
Because of that, our team offers comprehensive estate planning services so you can hand-select the tools that make sense for you.
Here are just a few ways we can help.
Wills are a great starting point for your estate plans. In your will, you can designate guardians for minor children, select beneficiaries for your assets, and even dictate your wishes for burial arrangements.
Keep in mind, however, that wills do not provide asset protection, which means they’ll need to be used in conjunction with other estate planning tools to cover all the bases.
Trusts are fiduciary arrangements that allow a third party (trustee) to hold assets on behalf of a beneficiary. When you set up a trust, the trust becomes the owner of those assets and the trustee, the manager, until you pass away or become incapacitated.
Creating a trust allows you to protect those assets from probate and have more autonomy over how and when they’re distributed.
Part of estate planning is planning for the unexpected, like if you become badly injured or sick. In situations like these, your loved ones and doctors will need guidance on what healthcare treatments you want, what life-saving measures you would or wouldn’t prefer, and other decisions.
These aren’t decisions you want your family to have to second-guess about. And when you can’t speak for yourself, healthcare directives allow you to outline your wishes beforehand.
Power of attorney documents allow a third party (agent) to act on your behalf in your absence. If you were temporarily disabled, incapacitated, or taking an extended trip, these documents allow that third party to step in and make important legal, financial, or healthcare decisions for you.
Without these documents, the court could decide who should make these decisions and, depending on the circumstances, end up stripping you of your rights altogether.
Probate is the process of rounding up your final affairs in court. This includes collecting, managing, and distributing your estate. It can be costly and time-consuming, dragging your loved ones back and forth to court to determine what should happen with your estate.
With proper planning, it can be avoided. However, when necessary, surviving loved ones can count on an experienced probate attorney to walk them through the probate process.
Planning your estate is an emotional process. We never want to consider what life would be like without us around. But at Stafford Law Firm, our attorneys can help you plan your estate, protect your assets, and give you peace of mind for the unexpected.
Our other legal services include:
Are you ready to take the next step in planning your estate?
Contact our law offices to schedule a free estate planning consultation today.
An estate plan is one of the most important things a person can do in their lifetime. It gives you control over what happens if you die or become incapacitated so that when it comes time for your loved ones to handle things on their own, they won’t be left guessing about your wishes.
It’s never too early to get your affairs in order. Book a free consultation with our estate planning attorneys today.
We are here to protect you, your family, and your business. Schedule a free consultation to discuss the best way to protect your future.
What’s great about estate planning is it’s tailored to your family and financial dynamic. Therefore the costs of estate planning will depend on the amount and type of assets you have and the kinds of tools and legal services that would be most beneficial to you. During your free consultation, you can ask your attorney about legal fees.
Working with a qualified Galleria estate planning attorney is the best way to keep your plans up to date. Major life changes like a new baby, buying a home, or getting married can mean you need to move some things around in your estate plan. Experienced estate planning lawyers can ensure your legal documents are kept up to date.
Probate fees in Harris County are currently $360 for new estates. There may be other administrative and miscellaneous fees that apply. When dealing with Houston probate courts, your best option is working with a probate attorney or, if you can, avoiding probate altogether.
